Meniere’s disease and otosclerosis

One of the things that set Meniere’s disease apart is that you can't identify it on an x-ray and it is similar to other balance disorders like vertigo. This makes it difficult to diagnose. Vertigo is certainly a similar disorder with the same amount of spinning and the fact that you also can't identify it on an x-ray. Luckily vertigo can be cured by certain therapies. But there are some vestibular disorders that can be detected with x-rays or scans, such as otosclerosis.


According to the NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) "otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may become severe."

Over half the folks that get it have parents that have also had otosclerosis. Your doctor can diagnose it by a hearing test and a CT scan. What I found as interesting is that the symptoms of this disorder are dizziness, balance problems and tinnitus. That sounds familiar doesn't it? According to a PUBMED.gov abstract Meniere’s disease and otosclerosis are known to coexist sometimes causing the treatment to be non-effective.

There are treatments for this disorder such as surgery (stapedectomy), hearing aid and medical treatment according to Dr. Hain's website.

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